Flat Screen TV Stands And Cabinets

Flat screen TV stands and cabinets are an important consideration for your home theater installation.

The TV furniture that you choose is crucial to your home cinema system and your living room interior design.

The purpose of this guide is to identify the different types of TV
stands and TV cabinets which are available on the market and to discuss
the strengths and weaknesses of each of the different types of TV
furniture.

We will also highlight factors which should be checked before purchasing any kind of TV or AV furniture.

Types of TV furniture

In the early days of flat panel televisions, the vast majority of TV units were glass TV stands.

These tended to be rectangular in design, although as many TV's are
positioned in the corner of the room, it wasn't long before corner TV
stands were developed.

Not all consumers liked glass TV stands and there are now a range of
wooden TV stands on the market - and these are available in the form
of open TV stands and enclosed TV cabinets.

As an alternative to a wall mounted television, cantilever TV stands
were also developed. These are essentially a traditional TV stand with
an incorporated bracket giving a similar look to a wall mounted TV.

Glass TV stands

There are a number of considerations if you are thinking about buying a glass TV stand.

The thickness of the glass, the type of cable management and the weight of the TV you are going to put on it are all part of the equation.

You will also find that there are many different colours of glass to choose from, to enable you to match the stand perfectly with the décor of your room.

The glass shelves will usually come with metal supports or wooden frames - like the Baxton Studio Sculpten Glass TV stand in the picture here. Therefore you have a
big choice as to the look of the stand that you want in your room.

Corner TV stands

Depending on the layout of your room, it may be
that a traditional wide glass or wooden stand may not fit into the space
you have available.

In this instance, you may want to consider a corner TV cabinet or stand which will fit much more easily into a smaller area.

The rear of a corner stand is shaped so that it will push back much
further into the corner of the room compared to a stand with a straight
edge. This will save you space and make the TV less prominent in the
room.

Sauder Harbor View Corner TV Stand

One potential drawback with these corner designs is that they can provide
limited space for your AV equipment - especially if the rear goes to a point to fit exactly in the corner. Therefore, if you have a range of
amplifiers, players and games consoles to install, then you might need
to consider where they are all going to go.

In the example above of the Sauder Harbor View corner TV stand - the rear is flat with just the edges shaped for a corner - so that gives more room for equipment inside.

Corner stands come in a variety of materials and styles, from metal
to glass to wood - and our example above is made from wood with an antiqued paint finish.

Our guide to wood TV stands and furniture
gives a more detailed look into the pros and cons of this type of stand
and points out the important considerations if you are looking to buy a
stand of this type.

TV cabinets

Flat screen TV cabinets (sometimes called a credenza) are a slightly different option when compared to the other types of stand discussed here.

These offer a more enclosed space for your AV equipment and allow you
to hide your devices away. In some cases this can be an important
consideration if you don't want your living space overtaken by
technology.

However, you must also think about the impact on ventilation and
access to the devices before you decide if this is the best way for you
to go.

This offers a flat surface to place your TV on the top (or you can
hang it on the wall), plus there are wooden and glass doors which offer an
enclosed area for your AV equipment.

Just make sure you are aware
of the
potential disadvantages of large screen TV cabinets before you make your
decision. The example here is actually designed with AV equipment in
mind, with holes in the rear designed for cable management, so would be a good choice if this stylish model is to your taste.

Cantilever TV stands

A cantilever flat screen TV stand is a more modern innovation.

Also known as a TV mount stand, they can provide the shelf space and
compact design of a more traditional TV stand, combined with the ability
to hang a HDTV as if it were wall-mounted. This can also provide you
with more room for your hardware underneath the TV.

It is important that you buy the right cantilever stand for the size
HDTV that you have, and as you shop around you will see the
specifications that each stand is designed for.

TransDeco TD600ES TV Stand with Universal Mounting System

A cantilever can also allow you to have the TV at a greater height
when compared to a glass or wooden stand - which will often offer a
lower viewing position when the TV is in place.

Flat Screen TV Stands Summary

This guide should help you to decide which TV
stands for flat screens best meet your need, and will assist you when
choosing the right model from the wide choice available.

The type of furniture that you buy for your room is an important
consideration. It may seem a bit boring compared to all your exciting
hardware and gadgets, but buying the right stand will help to integrate
your equipment into your room, and can aid the operation and performance
of your system.

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